External urinary catheters, also known as urisheaths, are conventionally used in urinary catheter devices for aiding male urinary incontinence and for use in hospitals in connection with treatment or surgery of urethral disorders. Such an external urinary catheter normally comprises a sheath or body portion enclosing the shaft of the penis, and a tip portion that is provided with a comparatively short discharge tube, which via a hose is connected to a urine collection bag that is e.g. fastened to the bed or the leg of the user.
Today, sheaths commercially known one-piece sheaths have one single band of adhesive, typically having a width of 35-45 mm. Some drawbacks of these commercially known sheaths are that leaks occurs through a single leak path developing through the wide band of adhesive. In addition, when removing a sheath, the residual tack of the adhesive will stress the skin when peeled off. Skin irritation is a known consequence of this. In worst cases, after repeated removals, the skin condition may be such, that sheaths cannot be worn until the skin has healed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,909 discloses a urisheath utilizing varying patterns of pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the urisheath. Examples of such patterns include a solid band of adhesive material not greater than two inches wide, a matrix of dots of the adhesive material may be used so as to create a random dispersion of adhesive points or three bands of the adhesive material which would lessen the likelihood of skin irritation due to repeated usage of the device.